Spacing device for shipping cartons and the like



Patented Aug. 21, 1951 SPACING DEVICE FOR SHIPPING CARTONS AND THE LIKENathan Okon, Bronx, N. Y.`

Application April 6, 1949, Serial No. 85,786 v2 Claims. (Cl. 229-42)This invention relates to separators or spacing means for cartons orshipping containers, and particularly those containers of the typecontaining goods or articles which are likely to be damaged by beingcrushed or compacted during shipment, storage or handling.

An object of the invention is to provide a device of simple constructionfor iitment within a carton to form a separating member therein, and tohold various articles or goods in separated relation, the separatingmember being provided with feet or supports tending to hold theseparator spaced from the bottom of the carton or from other separatingmembers contained within the carton. By means of the device, as abovedescribed, the articles or goods contained within the carton aresupported as well as held from being crushed or compacted so that thegoods will arrive at their destination undamaged.

More particularly, the invention contemplates the provision of arelatively stiff sheet of thick but light weight cardboard or othersheet material, the same being provided with stamped-out tonguesconstituting feet on which the sheet is rested to elevate or separatethe sheet from the bottom of the carton or from another separatorlocated below it.

These and other objects are attained by the invention, a more particulardescription of which will be hereinafter set forth and pointed out inthe claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein an illustrative embodiment of theinvention is shown, Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the blank or sheet fromwhich the improved spacer or separator is formed; Fig. 2 is a similarview, showing the legs of the device folded downwardly into operativeposition; Fig. 3 is a sectional view, taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2,looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 4 is an edge view of theseparator; Fig. 5 is a sectional view through a carton,

' showing several of the separators or spacers in place; and Fig. 6 isanother sectional view through a carton taken at right angles to that ofFig. 5, and showing three of the separators or spacers in position.

In Fig. 1 of the drawing is shown the blank or sheet I from which thespacer or separator is formed, the same being preferably composed ofcardboard of the corrugated type, or of any other suitable relativelystiff and light weight sheet material. The sheet I is of a shape toenable it to easily fit within a box or carton such as that shown. at'I.

The sheet I is die-cut with a plurality of substantially U -shaped slitsd resulting in the formation of tongues 5 having their bases, consistingof the dotted lines 6, located adjacent to the side edges 2 and 3 of thesheet I. In placing the sheet into operative position, the tongues 5 areforced out of the sheet by being folded downwardly on the lines 6 sothat each tongue becomes a vertically-disposed foot or leg upon whichthe sheet is rested. In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the sheetis illustrated as being provided with four legs 5, but it will beapparent that the size, number, shape and location of these legs or feetis dependent to some extent upon the size and shape of the sheet I.

The manner in which the separators or spacers are used, is seen in Figs.5 and 6. It will be therein seen that the box or carton I is providedwith a bottom I2a, ends 8 and 9 and side walls I0. The goods to bepacked or enclosed in the box.` or carton 1 are shown at I2, and thesame may consist of fur, millinery, trimmings, decorations. feathers orany other goods or materials which.

are likely to be damaged by being crushed or compacted in handling or intransit. A layer, or

and strong and support the sheet portion I in; its elevated position andthus prevent the goods; I2, located below the sheet I, from beingcrushed or compacted.

A second or upper layer of goods is then placed on top of the firstsheet I and then a second separator is placed in position, the samehaving its legs resting upon the top of the lower separator as clearlyshown in Fig. 5. This superimposition of the goods and the sandwichng ofthe separators between the goods is continued for the depth of the boxor carton, the several layers of goods being held within their owncompartments as dened by the separators, and thus being held from beingcrushed or compacted.

To permit the separators to be rested upon one another without causingthe legs of the upper separator to enter the openings created by theformation of the legs in the lower separator, the legs in some of theseparators may :be disaligned with respect to those on others. This willbe apparent from Fig. 6, wherein the legs 5a in the central separatorare disaligned vertically from those in the lower separator and alsofrom The legs 5 are stiff' those in the upper separator, so that nestingof the several separators will be thus prevented.

By the employment of these separators in cartons, damage to the goods isprevented; the cartons are reinforced and the goods arrive safely attheir destinations, since they are protected at al1 times.

Having described one embodiment of the invention, it is obvious that thesame is not to be restricted thereto, but is broad enough to cover allstructures coming within the scope of the annexed claims.

What I claim isi:

1. A spacing device for cartons comprising, a carton having a bottom, aplurality of sheets of stili' material arranged horizontally and insuperimposed and spaced relation within the carton, each of the sheetsbeing formed with a plurality of stamped-out and downwardly-bent tonguesforming supporting legs for the sheet, the supporting legs of thelowermost sheet resting on the bottom of the box, the legs of each ofthe upper sheets resting on the sheet below it, the legs serving to holdthe several sheets in prede- 'REFERENCES CITED The following referencesare of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 401,774 Chase et al Apr. 23, 1889682,190 Galbraith Nov. 20, 1900 795,998 Molitor Aug. 1, 1905 1,142,017Brown June 8, 1915 1,174,872 Jolack Mar. 7, 1915Y 1,922,233 Cooney Aug.15, 1933

